Gaspar
A surname and given name linked to the traditional name of one of the Three Kings, often treated as meaning “treasure master.”
The #3,210 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,442 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gaspar is ultimately connected with the traditional name of one of the Three Magi, usually spelled Gaspar or Gaspard in later European languages. Older etymological writers often linked it to a Persian word meaning “treasure master,” though some also connected it with the word for jasper, the gemstone. The name then spread through Christian tradition into Latin, Spanish, Italian, French, and other European languages.
History
The name became familiar in medieval Christendom through the legend of the Three Kings, where Gaspar is the form most widely used in parts of southern Europe. As a surname it can arise from an ancestor’s given name, and it is found in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and other European naming traditions. The related forms Gaspard, Gaspare, and Casparo show how the name adapted across languages.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In many European traditions, Gaspar is the king who is associated with bringing frankincense or, in some later tellings, the Asian or young Magus.
From the historical record
“Jasper. Dch. Jasper, Jaspers; G. Gaspary; Fl. Gaspard, Gaspar, Jaspar ; p.n. Jay. A loc. n., Heref. Or F. Gayo; Dch. Jay, Jehee; Fl.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (1st ed.)